Guides are structured long-form articles for educational and instructional content — “How to Set Up Your iPad as a Laptop Replacement,” “Beginner’s Guide to Multicam Live Streaming,” or “Complete Guide to External Storage on iPad.” This guide walks you through creating your first one.
Create a New Guide #
- Go to Guides → Add New
[SCREENSHOT: Guides submenu with Add New highlighted]
You’ll see the content editor with guide-specific meta boxes below.
Write Your Guide Content #
The main content area is where you write the full guide. Use H2 headings for every major section — these are essential because they automatically generate the sticky Table of Contents sidebar on the published page.
For step-by-step guides, number your headings: “1. Set Up Your Workspace,” “2. Configure the Software,” “3. Run Your First Test.” For conceptual guides, use descriptive headings that match what people search for.
Aim for comprehensive coverage — guides should be the most thorough resource available on the topic. Include specific product names, version numbers, settings, and real-world observations from your experience.
[SCREENSHOT: Guide content editor showing several H2 sections with content]
Fill In the Guide Fields #
Quick Answer #
Write 2–3 sentences that directly answer the guide’s core question. This appears in a styled box at the top of the published guide, right below the hero section.
Think of it as the TLDR — if someone reads nothing else, they should get a useful, actionable answer from this. AI tools frequently cite this field, so make it definitive and specific.
Good example: “You need a keyboard case, a USB-C hub with display output, and a Bluetooth mouse. With Stage Manager on iPadOS and the right accessories, the iPad Pro can replace a laptop for 90% of daily workflows.”
Bad example: “In this guide, you’ll learn about setting up your iPad as a laptop replacement.” (This is a teaser, not an answer.)
[SCREENSHOT: Quick Answer textarea with a strong, specific TLDR filled in]
What You’ll Need #
List the tools, products, software, or prerequisites the reader needs before starting. Each item has:
- Item label (required) — What they need
- Link URL (optional) — External link to the product or resource
- Link to Post (optional) — Search for and select one of your existing reviews, roundups, or other posts. This creates a cross-link directly to your related content.
Click Add Item for each prerequisite. If the guide doesn’t require any specific tools (e.g., a conceptual guide), leave this empty — the section won’t appear on the published page.
[SCREENSHOT: What You’ll Need section with 3-4 items, one linked to an existing review]
FAQ Section #
Add questions someone would ask after reading the guide — troubleshooting, alternatives, edge cases, and “what if” scenarios.
- “Can I use a non-Apple keyboard with iPad Pro?”
- “What if my external SSD isn’t recognized?”
- “Does Stage Manager work on the iPad Air?”
Write each answer as a complete, standalone response. These generate FAQPage schema and are heavily cited by AI tools.
[SCREENSHOT: FAQ section with 3-4 guide-specific Q&A pairs]
Sponsored Toggle #
Check this if the guide contains sponsored content or affiliate links that require disclosure.
Related Content #
Control what appears in the “Related Content” section at the bottom of the guide:
- Auto mode (default, checkbox checked) — Automatically shows up to 4 related guides from the same category
- Manual mode (Pro, checkbox unchecked) — Search for and select specific posts of any type: reviews, comparisons, roundups, or other guides
When both are active, your manually selected posts appear first, with auto-pulled guides filling the remaining slots.
[SCREENSHOT: Related Content meta box showing the auto checkbox and manual search field with selected posts]
Assign a Category and Tags #
In the editor sidebar, assign your guide to a Guide Category and add relevant Guide Tags.
Categories provide hierarchical organization:
- Apple → iPad Pro
- Photography → Editing
- Video Production → Live Streaming
Tags provide cross-cutting connections: Stage Manager, USB-C, external storage, beginner
Both create archive pages that readers (and search engines) can browse.
[SCREENSHOT: Editor sidebar showing Guide Category and Guide Tags panels]
Set the Featured Image #
Add a featured image — this appears in the hero section alongside the title and your Quick Answer intro. Choose an image that represents the guide topic.
Add an Excerpt #
In the editor sidebar, write a short Excerpt — 1-2 sentences that introduce the guide. This appears in the hero section as an editorial intro paragraph. If you leave it blank, the hero shows just the title and meta information.
[SCREENSHOT: Excerpt field in the editor sidebar]
Preview and Publish #
Preview to see the full guide layout:
- Hero section — Title, author, “Last updated” date, intro excerpt, and featured image in a two-column layout
- Disclosure notice — If sponsored toggle is on
- Quick Answer — Styled box with your TLDR
- What You’ll Need — Prerequisites list with links to your reviews and roundups
- Guide content — Your full article with a sticky Table of Contents sidebar
- FAQ section — Expandable Q&A
- Related Content — Cards linking to your other posts
- Author bio — “Written by” attribution
[SCREENSHOT: Published guide showing the complete page layout — hero, Quick Answer box, What You’ll Need, content with TOC sidebar, FAQ, Related Content cards, author bio]
The guide automatically generates Article schema, BreadcrumbList, and FAQPage structured data.
Next Steps #
- Import guides faster — See Importing Content with JSON to generate guide JSON with AI tools and paste it directly into the editor
- Cross-link your content — Use the What You’ll Need section and Related Content to connect guides with your reviews and roundups, building topical authority
- Customize appearance — Go to Creator Suite → Settings → Appearance to match your site’s branding
